South Australia has a dry climate but many parts of Adelaide and the state can flood. Flooding is one of the most damaging natural disasters for our state’s economy.
If you need emergency flood assistance, call us at 132 500. For life-threatening emergencies, call Triple Zero (000).
If you live, work or are visiting a flood-prone area, there are five things you can do now to prepare:
- Know your local area—is there a history of flooding?
- Learn where to go for safety and the safe routes to get there.
- Keep a list of Emergency Contacts (203KB PDF) handy.
- Put together an Emergency Kit (238KB PDF), including a battery-powered radio, torch and spare batteries.
- Check your insurance policy is current and covers you for flood damage.
The highest rainfall in South Australia occurs in the winter months, but floods can occur at any time. Flooding can be caused by rivers, stormwater, a dam release or a high tide combined with a storm surge along the coast.
Rising sea levels and the growing number of people living in urban parts of the floodplain increase the risk of flooding in these areas. And, flash flooding—rapid flooding after heavy rainfall—is more likely to happen in urban areas due to large areas of roofs and roads, which make the water run off quickly.
Climate change is expected to increase the intensity of rainfall events.